Category: Congress

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Congress GOP Justice Department The Biden Administration

WATCH A DOJ Official Give Jim Jordan A Brutal Fact-Check During House Hearing

A hearing of the House Judiciary Committee wound up proving just how little chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) knows about the law or U.S. history, with an official of the Justice Department having to give Jordan some embarrassing facts which completely undercut the point he was trying to make.

Jordan asked Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke about a civil rights investigation into Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, which the DOJ has accused of refusing to hire asylum recipients and refugees in direct violation of U.S. law.

“Did Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter have anything to do with the Justice Department’s decision to file that lawsuit against SpaceX?” Jordan asked Clarke.

Clarke told Jordan that the DOJ investigation of SpaceX began during the Trump administration.

“The investigation into SpaceX was open during the last administration, and we filed an administrative action under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an important law passed by this body with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Reagan,” she noted.

Jordan: “What are you alleging that SpaceX did wrong?”

Clarke: “In this case, we allege that the company is not compliant with the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

Rather than accept that, Jordan asked, “They’re discriminating against refugees and asylum seekers, is that right?”

Once again, Clarke had to fact check Jordan.

“No, Chairman. Against people who have received refugee status and asylum status by our federal courts and who enjoy equal standing under federal law to U.S. citizens and naturalized citizens.

“The law requires equal treatment of these individuals.”

Jordan continued to press.

“I just want to cut to the chase. You’re suing SpaceX because they hired too many Americans, too many citizens.”

“And yet you bring the lawsuit after Mr. Musk purchases Twitter, now X, is that right?”

Clarke shut Jordan down by responding: “We apply the laws that this body gave us without fear or favor.”

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Congress GOP Joe Biden

WATCH: Joe Biden Hilariously Mocks Lauren Boebert: ‘Massive Failure In Her Thinking’

President Joe Biden had a laugh at the expense of Colorado Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert during an interview on a progressive podcast, suggesting that the controversial Boebert doesn’t give much thought to the patently ridiculous things she says before she spouts off.

Speaking with Ben Meiselas of the anti-Trump Meidas Touch PAC, Biden was shown remarks Boebert made about the Inflation Reduction Act.

Meiselas told the president:

“We’re at the CS Wind turbine factory, the largest wind turbine factory in the world.”

“You were talking about the Inflation Reduction Act and jobs being brought to cities and communities across the United States of America and here in Pueblo. And the MAGA Republican representative, though, of Pueblo, Colorado, is MAGA Republican Lauren Boebert, and she gives the alternative position there on the Inflation Reduction Act.

“And she says that the Inflation Reduction Act is a massive failure. And she said that it is another con by the Democrats. If I can. I want to show you a video of MAGA Republican Lauren Boebert talking. I apologize in advance for even showing this to you.”

Cue the video of Boebert, railing on the House floor: “And it does the exact opposite of what Americans need right now! This is just another con game by the Democrats calling something one thing.”

That led Biden to comment:

“If it weren’t so important, it’d be humorous! What’d she call it, a massive failure? The only massive failure occurs in her thinking. The idea that in her own district. We’ve created so many new, good-paying jobs. And by the way, it’s generating economic growth across the board was the board. And when people get a good job, what they do is they have an opportunity to spend on things that their, basic needs for themselves. And by the way, we cut the deficit by $7 billion. The idea that she’s talking about this being a massive failure, I don’t get it. I don’t know whether they just don’t understand anything or whether or not they, in fact, are.”

The president added:

“I hope she comes back here and tells the people in this factory the largest wind turbine factory in the world, that this is a massive stimulus. So just to invite her to come back. Come back and tell the folks back home. This is a massive failure. Tell the folks back home that all we’ve done to generate economic growth is not worth it. And I’d like to ask explain how she supports not taxing billionaires more than 8%. I have trouble explaining that again. I probably shouldn’t waste my time trying to.”

The latest polls from Boebert’s district suggest she’s in big trouble come November, as her challenger, Adam Frisch, is raising tons of campaign money and polling well against the incumbent. Here’s hoping that means Boebert will soon be a former member of Congress.

 

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Congress Crime Donald Trump GOP Justice Department

House Republicans Demand Jack Smith Give Them All Trump Indictment Documents – Or Else

Perhaps sensing that the federal criminal case progressing against former president Donald Trump on multiple fronts is closer to becoming a slam dunk for Special Counsel Jack Smith, three members of the House Republican caucus are now demanding that Smith and the Justice Department hand over all of the documents related to Trump’s indictment.

According to Eric Cortellessa of Time Magazine, House Oversight Committee members James Comer (R-KY), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sent a letter in which they demand “all documents and and communications” between Smith and the DOJ that pertain to Trump or his federal indictments.

The three lawmakers also threatened to use a “compulsory process” if Smith doesn’t comply by Dec. 15.

Specifically, Jordan, Comer, and Luna say they want to know how Smith empaneled grand juries and how he decided what witnesses he would offer immunity in exchange for the testimony. In other words, they want to know everything Smith knows even though they aren’t entitled to such information until after the case has concluded.

What “compulsory process” would be used against Smith? That remains unclear, but it’s safe to say no federal court in the country is going to compel the Justice Department to hand over information related to an ongoing criminal prosecution.

Here’s more from Eric Cortellessa, which he shared on Twitter:

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Congress GOP Social Safety Net Viral Video

Lauren Boebert Gets Schooled By Social Security Official After Proving Her Ignorance Of Math

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) once again proved her seemingly unlimited ignorance on Wednesday during the questioning of an official from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to HuffPost, Boebert chastised the SSA official and suggested that employees for the agency are lazy.

Boebert told Oren “Hank” McKnelly, an executive counselor for the SSA, that the agency was allowing “delinquent employees to sit on their sofas at home” instead of “actually getting to work and doing their jobs” as she took aim at telework policies during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” said Boebert, known for her bizarre behavior in and outside Washington, D.C.

McNeely told the congresswoman that all employees who work from home are monitored.

That led Boebert to ask, “Then why is the backlogs for Social Security applicants increased from 41,000 to 107,000?”

McNeely replied, “Because we’ve been historically underfunded for a number of years now.”

The congresswoman tried to be snarky, telling the official:

“I don’t think you’re underfunded. You’re funded at the Nancy Pelosi levels, at the democrat levels. We just continued that same funding.”

McNeely dropped the hammer on Boebert by using simple facts to refute what she’d just said.

“So I’d say we’d have an increase of over 8 million beneficiaries over the last 10 years. At the same time, we experienced our lowest work staffing levels at the end of FY 22. That’s a math problem. I mean, that is a problem. If you have those workloads increasing and you don’t have the staff to take care of those workloads, you’re going to have the backlogs that you’re talking about, representative.”

The video, which has more than 2.4 million views in less than 24 hours, also drew plenty of comments from other social media users.

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Congress GOP

George Santos May Try To ‘Torch The House’ As They Give Him The Boot

Now that the House Ethics Committee has made it clear that Rep. George Santos (R-NY) did indeed engage in “uncharged and unlawful conduct” that could merit his immediate expulsion from Congress, all that remains to be seen is what the congressman will do with what remains of his limited time in office.

Though Santos did say last week that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, he may still have some dangerous games he could play that would throw the House into complete chaos, according to American Enterprise Institute researcher Kevin Kosar., who writes:

How will Santos respond to that vote once he knows it is coming?. He could go gently into the night. He might give a farewell speech like Ohio Democrat James Traficant did in 2002 after he got the boot. Or Rep. Santos instead might torch the House. Specifically, what if he demanded recognition the moment the House of Representatives restarted and raised a question of privilege to vacate the speakership?

A motion to vacate is considered privileged, which means it would take precedence over any other House business, including a move to expel Santos as soon as possible, Kosar notes.

He feels betrayed and scorned. Santos has every reason to fight and keep up the act that he is a victim. Additionally, vacating the Speaker would delay the vote on his own expulsion— no Speaker means the GOP would leave the floor to huddle in conference and figure out who is in charge. And if past is prologue, that could take a while. Not to be forgotten is that pulling this maneuver would be sweet revenge on his party for scorning him.”

And, obviously, trying to vacate the chair would make for great theater, and Santos is all about drama.

While House Republicans might not be willing to give current speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) the boot, Democrats could easily vote as a bloc and make it impossible for Johnson to get the votes he needs to remain, which would likely delight Santos.

The prospect of George Santos temporarily shutting down the House to save his own hide is a troubling one. Thankfully, after further thought and consultation with a maven of House legislative procedure, I found peace. No, Rep. Santos can’t torch the House. Sure, he can try, but it would fail.

It would fail, but just imagine the damage it could do to the GOP with a national election now less than a year away.